This invention relates to an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin, an incontinent pad, or the like, which has a nice fitness and a high leakage-preventive ability.
As an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, an incontinent pad, or the like, there has heretofore been widely used a substantially vertically-long absorbent article including a liquid-retentive absorbent layer and a liquid-impermeable leakage-preventive layer.
Such an absorbent article is required to prevent leakage, particularly to effectively prevent leakage from the side portions, and many proposals have been made.
For example, in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 1-2592, there is proposed a sanitary napkin, in which elastic members are arranged on both left and right side edge portions of an absorbent article so that a round-shaped configuration is exhibited on the body side of its user in a natural state.
In such a suggested sanitary napkin, however, the napkin, when in wear, tends to move together with the shorts in obedience to the motion of the wearer, and therefore, fitness is degraded and leakage occurs when slipped.
In Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 8-503638, there is proposed an absorbent article, in which cubic gathers comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an elastic member are provided on both left and right guide of an absorbent member such that the cubic gathers are erected.
Such a proposed sanitary napkin, however, cannot satisfy the required level of leakage-preventive ability and the leakage-preventive ability from the sides is degraded.